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By Sean Rayment
British intelligence services are investigating links between a terrorist who murdered two people outside a synagogue in Manchester and Iran.
MI5 is trying to establish whether Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, was acting alone or as part of a covert terror cell.
The disclosure comes as police confirmed that one of the two people killed was shot dead by officers.
Intelligence sources told National Security News that both the police and the security service are investigating whether Al-Shamie became self-radicalised or was inspired either by Iranian proxies or by individuals linked to Hezbollah.
One source said: “The Syrian link is important and is a strong line of investigation. At this stage we are trying to establish whether Al-Shamie became radicalised independently or was part of a wider group. His Syrian heritage and Syria’s links to Hezbollah and Iran are important avenues of investigation. We know that the conflict in Gaza has had a radicalising effect on certain parts of the British community. Some may protest while others choose to take direct action.”
The intelligence official also told National Security News that police and security services are preparing for the possibility of a series of so-called copycat attacks.
The source said: “When attacks like this happen they can inspire and radicalise others to conduct similar acts. The real challenge is trying to prevent so-called lone wolf attacks by people like Al-Shamie who are not on our radar.”
Iran has carried out attacks on British soil in the past, often using proxies to target critics of the regime.
The Islamic Republic has also been accused of directing attacks against a synagogue and a café in Sydney and Melbourne earlier this year. At the time, the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, said the two incidents were “attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community.” He later expelled the Iranian ambassador.
The victims of Thursday’s attack have been named as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66. Three other people remain in hospital.
GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson said one of the victims died after “suffering a gunshot wound” when police opened fire on Al-Shamie. One of the three other victims also suffered a gunshot wound, which is “not life-threatening,” he added.
The attack, which police have classified as a terrorist incident, took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
“Right now our hearts are shattered,” the UK’s Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, told the BBC. Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “What transpired yesterday was an awful blow to us, something which we feared might happen because of the build-up to this action. The attack was not only a very dark time for Jews in Britain but for all of our society.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the BBC: “Our responsibility is to make sure our Jewish community, our citizens, can go about their lives with safety and security. I do not want Jewish people in our country to feel they have to live a smaller Jewish life, that they cannot go about their business and practise their faith and go to their communal institutions in freedom.”
She confirmed that Al-Shamie was not known to counter-terrorism police and said it was “too early” to determine whether there was a wider terrorist cell behind the attack. The investigation is “continuing at pace” and police presence has been increased at synagogues across the UK.
“The government does provide funding for security,” Mahmood said, adding: “I think we will have to consider what more we can do to deal with rising antisemitism.”